Travelling to Puglia

You may be asking yourself “How do I get to Puglia?” Of course, the answer depends on where you are travelling from and your preferred way of travelling. You can fly, take a train or drive, or maybe a combination. You can fly direct to Italy and to Puglia from many of the countries in mainland Europe and from the Uk and Ireland. If you are going to be travelling from further afield you should be able to get a direct flight to Rome or Milan. There are connecting flights to the main airports that are very convenient for Southern Puglia. Or you can consider taking the train or coach, or driving.

When you are making travel plans think about car hire, insurance and travel money. Make sure as well that you are aware of any potential travel restrictions in the country you are travelling to.

From 1st January 2021 UK citizens travelling to Italy (and other EU countries in the Schengen area) must have at least six months left on their passport before it expires. If you are resident in another EU country this may not apply to you.

You don’t need a visa and you can stay for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. Days spent in other Schengen area countries in the same 180 period are included in the 90 days.

Covid 19

Get the latest Covid 19 information from Italy

We don’t know what the situation with Covid 19 will be in Puglia next year but based on our experience in 2020 we are hopeful that the opportunities to visit Puglia will be plentiful.

Despite the Italian borders remaining closed until June 3rd 2020, our visitors who were able to travel to Puglia enjoyed their stay here. As one regular guest put it “It’s the best place to be, we can be outside, everything is open, apart from the wearing of masks and being sensible, Puglia is just like it always has been.”

This is what visitors to Puglia were either required or advised to do in 2020, we anticipate that it will be pretty much the same in 2021.

These requirements had to be complied with by everyone planning on travelling into Puglia, whether from another Italian region or from an EU or Schengen country.

2020 Travel to Puglia – the requirements

The main requirement was to register with the Puglia Region and provide information about when and where you are travelling from and where you are staying.

In addition to registering your presence, or intended presence, in Puglia, for the first thirty days of your stay, you need to keep a list of places visited and people met. Presumably, this means people you spend time with, friends, family and other relatives. If you use location services on your mobile phone, keep the phone with you at all times. This could then help with the list of places visited.

It is also highly recommended that if you download the Italian Track and Trace Contact App, Immuni.

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So, what information is requested?

For families, only one form needs to be submitted by an adult representative of the family
You only have to give the address of the first place that you will be staying in Puglia.
If you stay in more than one place the additional places should be added to your list of movements.
** Once you have completed the form save it as a PDF and email it to the prevention department of the A.S.L of the province in which you are staying. If you are resident in Puglia then you should send the document to your doctor.
The form must be kept with you for the duration of your stay in Puglia in either hard copy or as a PDF stored digitally.
You must keep a list of all places visited during your stay in Puglia including bars, restaurants, beaches, cultural attractions etc.
The list is private and should only be presented to the health authorities if you become involved in a contact track and trace operation.
The list should include the names of people whose identity is known.
The list can be destroyed after thirty days have passed.

It’s quite simple, you can provide the information using a self-certification form online. [ Jump to Autosegnalazione coronavirus ]. The form is written in both Italian and English. To see what information is requested take a look at the table below.

Codice Fiscale	Social Security Number
Nome	First name
Cognome	Last name
Data di nascita	Date of birth
Paese di residenza	Country of Residence
Comune di alloggio / domicilio / residenza in Puglia	City of accommodation/ domicile / residence where you are staying in Puglia
Indirrizo di alloggio / domicilio / residenza in Puglia	Address of accommodation/ domicile / residence where you are staying in Puglia
Telefono fisso	Landline phone number, if any
Altro telefono (fisso o mobile)	Phone number (landline or mobile)
Email	Email
Lo spostamento avviene con altri component del nucleo familiare?	Does the move take place with other family members?
Professione	Occupation type
Paese di provenienza	Home country
Comune di provenienza	Home town
Data di arrivo	Arrival date
Ora di arrivo	Arrival time
Mezzo di trasporto per l’ingresso in Puglia e/o raggiungere l’alloggio	Transportation used for reaching your accommodation in Puglia, e.g. air / car rental
Giornate previste di permanenza?	The length of your stay

By Air

The southern part of Puglia has two international airports, Bari I(BRI) and Brindisi – the Salento Airport. Bari airport has a train connection to Bari Centrale, the main train station in the city, city buses and an airport bus station as well as taxi services. From Bari Centrale you can take to the north or the south. Brindisi airport has a bus service to the city and the station, scheduled around flight arrival and departure times, and also taxi services.

The airports in Naples and Rome are also viable alternatives. Naples is about a four-hour pleasant drive mainly on motorways with fantastic scenery. If you are driving from or to Naples airport it can be tricky to find your way out and back, make sure you have either sat-nav in your rental car or a navigation app. Rome is a six-hour drive or train ride. You might like to think about staying in Rome or Naples for a day or so and then taking a connecting flight.

If you are planning on taking a taxi from the airport you should consider booking a taxi with a private service instead of taking a taxi from the airport ranks. Considerable savings can be made.

We try to keep the airline information shown below as up to date as possible but you are strongly advised to check availability with the airline before booking accommodation. Countries in the list below marked with * have direct flights to Bari and/or Brindisi.

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From Austria

Austrian – Vienna to Milan MXP, Rome FCO

RyanAir – Bergamo BGY, Milan MXP, Vienna to Rome FCO

Wizz Air – Milan MXP, Vienna to Rome FCO

From Belgium

Alitalia – Brussels (BRU) to Milan (LIN) and Rome (FCO)

Brussels Airlines – Brussels (BRU) to Milan (LIN), Milan (MXP) and Rome (FCO)

Ryanair – Brussels (BRU) to Rome (FCO) and Milan (MXP) ¦ Brussels (CRL) to Bergamo (BGY) and Rome (CIA)

From Czech Republic *

Wizz Air – Prague (PRG) to Bari (BRI)

From Denmark

Easyjet – Copenhagen (CPH) to Milan (MXP)

Norwegian – Copenhagen (CPH) to Rome (FCO)

Ryanair – Copenhagen (CPH) to Bergamo (BGY)

SAS – Copenhagen (CPH) to Milan (MXP)

From France

Air France – from Paris (CDG) to Milan (MXP)

Alitalia – Marseille (MRS) to Rome (FCO) Paris (CDG) to Milan (LIN), Paris (ORY) to Milan (LIN)

Easyjet – Lyon (LYS) to Rome (FCO), Paris (CDG / ORY) to Milan (MXP), Paris (ORY) to Rome (FCO), Paris (CDG / ORY) to Milan (LIN)

Ryanair – Marseille (MRS) to Rome (FCO)

Vueling – Paris (OLY) to Milan (MXP), Paris (CDG / ORY ) to Rome (FCO)

From Germany *

Air Dolomiti – Munich (MUC) to Bari (BRI), Munich (MUC) to Milan (MXP)

Alitalia – Dusseldorf (DUS) to Milan (LIN),Frankfurt (FRA) to Milan (LIN)

EasyJet – Munich (MUC) to Milan (MXP)

Eurowings – Cologne (CGN) to Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS), Dusseldorf (DUS) to Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS), Hamburg (HAM) to Bari (BRI), Dusseldorf (DUS) to Milan (MXP), Dusseldorf (DUS) to Rome (FCO)

Lufthansa – Frankfurt (FRA) to Bari (BRI), Frankfurt (FRA) to Milan (MXP), Munich (MUC) to Milan (MXP_

RyanAir – Frankfurt (HHN) to Bari (BRI), Memmingen (FMM) to Brindisi (BDS), Frankfurt (FRA) to Bergamo (BGY), Hamburg (HAM) to Bergamo (BGY)

Hungary

Alitalia – Budapest (BUD) to Rome (FCO)

Ryanair – Budapest (BUD) to Rome (CIA / FCO)

Wizz Air – Budapest (BUD) to Milan (MXP) and Rome (FCO)

Within Italy *

Al Italia – Milan(LIN) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Rome (FCO) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI)

Blue Air – Turin (TRN) to Bari (BRI)

Easy Jet – Milan (MXP) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Venice (VCE) to Bari(BRI)

Ryanair – Milan (MXP) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Rome (FCO) Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Bologna (BLQ) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Bergamo (BGY) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Pisa (PSA) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI), Turin (TRN) to Bari (BRI), Cagliari (CAG) to Brindisi (BDS) and Bari (BRI)

Wizz Air – Bologna (BLQ) to Bari (BRI)

From the Netherlands *

Alitalia – Amsterdam (AMS) to Milan (LIN), Amsterdam (AMS) to Rome (FCO)

Easyjet – Amsterdam (AMS) to Milan (MXP), Amsterdam to Rome (FCO),

KLM – Amsterdam (AMS) to Milan (LIN / MXP), Amsterdam (AMS) to Rome (FCO)

Transavia – Amsterdam (AMS) to Bari (BRI)

Vueling – Amsterdam (AMS) to Rome (FCO)

From Romania *

Blue Air – Bucharest (OTP) to Bari (BRI)

Wizz Air – Bucharest (OTP) to Bari (BRI)

From Spain

Al Italia – MadrId (MAN) to Milan (MXP)

Air Europa – Madrid (MAD) to Milan (MXP)

Easyjet – Barcelona (BCN) to Milan (MXP), Madrid (MAD) to Milan (MXP)

Ryanair – Barcelona (BCN) to Bergamo (BCY), MadrId (MAN) to Milan (MXP), Seville (SVQ) to Milan (MXP), Rome (FCO) and Bergamo (BGY)

Vueling – Barcelona (BCN) to Milan (MXP)

From Sweden

Norwegian – Stockholm (ARN) to Rome (FCO)

Ryanair – Gothenburg (GOT) to Begamo (BGY)

SAS – Stockholm (ARN) to Milan (LIN) and Rome (FCO)

From Switzerland *

Easyjet – Geneva (GVA) to Brindisi (BDS)

Swiss – Zurich (ZRH) to Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS)

From United Kingdom *

BA – London (LHR) to Brindisi (BDS), London (LGW) to Bari (BRI)

EasyJet – London (LGW) to Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS)

RyanAir – London (STN) to Bari (BRI) and Brindisi (BDS)

By Car

When you are making your Puglia Travel plans consider driving. Travelling to Puglia by car gives you the opportunity to explore and experience more of Italy. It is also an opportunity to visit other European countries.

If you are travelling to Puglia by car from the UK or Ireland take the ferry or the eurotunnel to France. Once you are on mainland Europe you can vary your route to take you via the places you want to visit on your way to Puglia.

From 1st January 2021 UK citizens not resident in a Schengen country should continue to carry their UK driving licence with them. You may also need an International Driving Permit which can be bought at a Post Office and costs £5.50. Information about the type of IDP required by individual countries should be available later in 2020. You will also need a “green card” to confirm that you have motor insurance cover when driving abroad.

More information here

Tip : If your route includes driving through Switzerland and you will be using the Swiss auto-routes you will need to purchase a vignette”. This can be bought at the Swiss customs point on your entry into Switzerland!

After you have arrived on mainland Europe you can continue your journey by road or by rail using one of the car-carrying train services like the French Motorail. Plan your route before you leave home. Websites like viaMichelin can help you plan your route and give a good idea of the costs involved.

Why drive?

Although low cost flights may seem the cheapest option they may not work for you if you are a large family or need to travel with a lot of luggage. In high season airfares are usually much more expensive and it may be more cost efficient and convenient to drive. And of course you save on the cost of hiring a rental car for the duration of your holiday. Driving of course also offers you the opportunity to explore other parts of Europe on your way to and from Puglia.

Before you leave home.

Make sure you have the correct insurance for driving in Europe and any other countries that you may travel through, that you have your driving licence with you and passport too. You can find lots of information about driving in Europe on the RAC website

By Train

Another alternative for travelling to Puglia is to let the train take the strain. If you have a little more time to travel and like the idea of a more relaxed method of travel consider Puglia by train. From the UK take the afternoon Eurostar to Paris, and then from Paris-Bercy, the overnight Artesia sleeper train ‘Palatino’ to Bologna where you will pick up the train from Bologna to Brindisi, arriving in Brindisi in the afternoon of your second day. You can of course consider spending a couple of days in Paris and or Bologna allowing you to discover a little more of Europe during your holiday.

seat61.com is a really useful website providing all the information you need about travelling from the UK to Italy. The journey is broken down into stages so if you are not starting from the UK you can begin from another location. Here’s what the Man in Seat Sixty-One has to say :

“UK to Italy by train? Of course! It’s easy, comfortable, environmentally-friendly & affordable. In fact, it’s amazing that some people still think you have to fly. Take a mid-morning Eurostar from London to Paris in 2 hours 25 minutes from £39 one-way, then travel by direct Artesia TGV from Paris to Turin or Milan arriving late evening, from £29 one-way. Next morning, Eurostar Italia high-speed trains will whisk you from Milan to Florence in just 2 hours, Venice in 2½ hours or Rome in 3½ hours. Better still, for amazing Alpine scenery take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris and a 198 mph Lyria TGV to Zurich. Next morning, take a EuroCity ‘pendolino’ train through the Swiss Alps via the fabulous Gotthard Pass route to Milan, with connections for Florence, Venice, Rome & Naples arriving in the afternoon. Or catch an afternoon Eurostar to Paris then the direct overnight Artesia sleeper trains to Florence, Rome or Venice, the time-effective option. This page explains all you need to know to plan, book & make a flight-free trip to Italy. * London to Milan by high-speed train, with no baggage fees, no check-in fees, no airport taxes, no extra costs to reach remote airports, no 2-hour check-ins. And children under 4 go free.”

You can find details of travelling by train to Bari or Brindisi here. One of our regular visitors travels to Puglia by train, you can read about her train travel experiences here.

Car Hire

We do strongly recommend that you hire a car for the duration of your holiday in Puglia. Many people use websites that trawl car rental company websites. While most of the trawler websites are reputable some are not, please do be careful. Before you book using a trawler website check them out on TrustPilot or some other review forum or website. We wish we had! We had a particularly bad experience with EconomyCarRentals who are based in Greece. You can read our review and many others here.

We are often asked to recommend car hire companies. We suggest that you avoid the well-known car hire companies. Not because there is anything wrong with them or from a bad experience. It’s simply because there are usually shorter queues at the lesser-known car hire desks.

Car Hire at Brindisi Airport

Autovia +39 0831412672
Avis +39 06 452108391
Budget +39 0831 418155
Enterprise +39 02 430201
Europcar +39 0831 412061
Firefly +44 207 365 9108
Hertz +39 0831 1822843
Locauto +39 024 30201
Maggiore +39 0831 418155
Noleggiare +39 347 864 4730
Sicily by Car +39 091 639011
or toll free in Italy 800 334440
Sixt +39 029 4757979
eMail reservation-it@sixt.com

Car Hire at Bari Airport

Autovia +39 0831 412672
Avis +39 0805 316168
Budget +39 0805 316168
Enterprise +39 0805 378995
Europcar +39 0805 316144
Firefly +44 207 365 9108
Goldcar +39 06 4520 9634
Hertz +39 080 919 9213
Locauto +39 024 30201
Sicily by Car +39 080 537 5835
or toll free in Italy 800 334440
Sixt +39 029 4757979
eMail reservation-it@sixt.com

If possible the named driver should go on ahead to the Puglia Car Hire desks while the others wait in the baggage hall for the luggage. This can cut down the time between your arrival in Puglia and picking up your car.

Our two main Puglia Car Hire favourites are both Italian and we have frequently hired cars from them. They are LocAuto and Maggiore.

Whichever car hire company you book your Puglia Hire Car with we recommend that, instead of taking additional insurance from the car hire company, you consider buying a Car Hire Excess insurance from a specialist company. Excess amounts can be high, typically 1000 euros or more. A word of caution, if you don’t buy the excess insurance at the rental desk, the car hire company will require a credit card in the name of the main driver. Read this MoneySavingExpert article to find out more. Do make sure that any additional insurance has all the cover you need. Some policies exclude things like tyres, windscreens and roof damage.

Insurance

Travel Insurance

Many airlines automatically offer you travel insurance when you buy your tickets, do check carefully what is included and any particular circumstances that are excluded. If you travel more than once a year it’s worth considering an annual travel policy. An annual travel policy can be purchased from a number of different companies as well as from your local post office. You can compare the costs of an annual travel policy on websites like www.moneysupermarket.com.

Health Insurance

If you are resident in a Schengen country and entitled to healthcare in your country of residence then you should ensure that you have your country’s health insurance card with you when you travel. In Italy this is the Tessera Sanitaria, In general, the insurance card provided by your country will only cover emergency medical care in the local equivalent of a (UK) NHS hospital. You should always check to see if you need any additional top-up insurance.

If you are travelling to Italy from a country outside the Schengen area then you may need to make your own health cover arrangements. Post Brexit UK citizens not resident in a Schengen country can still get necessary health care when travelling in the EU. The European Health Insurance Card remains valid until it expires, it is then replaced with the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). You can find more information here.

Money

Sorting out your holiday spending should be part of your Puglia Travel plans. We’re sure you know that in Italy the currency is the Euro.

In Puglia, it is very hard to find a bank that will exchange Travellers’ Cheques and to do so will involve a trip into one of the major cities.

Many small shops and restaurants do NOT take credit or debit cards. The larger supermarkets do take cards and in some of the hypermarket centres, you will find “Bancomats” where you can withdraw cash using your credit or debit cards. If you are travelling to/in Europe from a non-euro country consider the use of a pre-paid euro card. These often offer a better exchange rate and lower commission, even no commission charges, than your home currency cards. You can compare UK issued pre-paid euro cards here.

You may also open an online multi-currency bank account like Transferwise, N26 or get a Revolut card. There may be some restrictions depending on which country you are resident in. We recommend Transferwise who offer GBP and EUR currency accounts to UK citizens resident in the UK and in the EU. Use this link, Transferwise, and you will get some fee free transfers.